Lake Forest Hospital Remains Closed Over The Weekend

UPDATE: Hospital officials announced Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital will remain closed through Monday while preparations for reopening continue. Some offices on the Lake Forest campus are now open for patient appointments. The hospital said it will reopen pending approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

LAKE FOREST, IL — Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital is remaining closed to clinical operations for a second full day Friday due to damage from this week's storm. More than 90 patients were evacuated Wednesday after a flooded basement shut down power, left standing water in parts of the hospital and made some surrounding roadways impassable. A limited number of physician offices will reopen for scheduled patient appointments only, the hospital announced Friday morning.

The hospital remains on ambulance bypass, meaning any patients who arrive at the emergency room will be redirected to other area hospitals.

Northwestern medicine encouraged patients to seek emergency care at other nearby facilities.

The hospital said it is working with regulators to ensure a safe environment in order to reopen patients to the hospital. (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and breaking news alerts for the Lake Forest Patch or another community.)

Read more:

• Rainfall Totals: Which Chicago-Area Town Got Hit The Hardest?
• State Of Emergency Declared Over Lake County Flooding
• Lake County Flooding: Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Evacuated, Roads Closed

This is a developing story, check back for updates